Kid CuDi - Mr. Rager

There are certain makeovers that hip-hop just will not accept from artists (please, leave your Weezy-Rock comments at the door). Strangely enough, the industry seems to be content with claiming Kid Cudi as their own, even though he’s created his own subgenre of solemn, albeit intricately creative, stoner hip-rock. With the official version of Mr. Rager, the latest track off his sophomore album, we find Mr. Solo Dolo once again pushing the envelope on a new class of music that has yet to be truly defined. With somber production from Emile (not Kanye, as incorrectly reported elsewhere), Cudi bounces through a darkness of melancholy lyrics and offset vocals, continually trying to find himself in his music through dual personas. Regardless of whether the man’s trademark sound turns out to stand the test of time, it’s living strong in the here and now. If you liked this glance into CuDi’s psyche, be sure to keep a lookout for his highly anticipated Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, due out October 26.